Supplying pressure oil to pitch change mechanism of air-screw driven by gasturbine engine



r AL 2,928,474 CH CHANGE MECHANISM OF AIR-SCREW DRIVEN BY GAS-TURBINE ENGINE Filed July 8, 1957 March 15, 1960 HAwoR'rH suPPLYING PRESSURE on. To PIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March l5, 1960 f L, HAWO H E1- 2,928,474

SUPPLYING PRESSURE OIL FITCH ANGE MECHANISM OF AIR-SCREW DRIVEN BY GAS-TURBINE ENGINE Filed July 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'J WAHM' March 15, 1960 HAWQRTH ErAL 2,928,474

SUPPLY PRESSU OIL TO P H CHA MECHANISM OF -SCREW VEN BY G -TURBI ENGINE Filed July 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheei 3 JLJLJLJULMLJQLMLA SUPPLYING PRESSURE OIL TO PITCH CHANGE MECHANISM OF AIR-SCREW DRIVEN BY GAS- TURBINE ENGINE Lionel Haworth, Littleover, and Jack Palfreyman, Tansley, near Matlock, England, assignors to Rolls-Royce Limited, Derby, England, a British company This invention comprises improvements in or relating to airscrew-driving gas-turbine engines. Such an engine has a driving shaft which is connected to the lairscrew shaft through a reduction gear located between the gas-turbine engine and the airscrew, and the engine airintake is usually annular and has its innerv boundary formed by appropriately shaping thecasing of the reduction gear.

In practice, all gas-turbine-driven airscrews are ofthe variable-pitch kind, and, when the pitch-change mechanism which is housed in the airscrew hub is hydraulically operated, the pressure liquid is conveyed to the pitch-change mechanism through the airscrew shaft from a supply mulf encircling the airscrew shaft. The pressure oil is fed from the mui into ducts in the shaft through transverse drillings in the shaft wall. Since often a number of liquid supplies at different pressures are required, a corresponding number of transverse drillings must be made through the airscrew shaft and this gives rise to a number of disadvantages which it is the object of this invention to avoid. Firstly, the airscrew shaft under high power conditions carries a high torque and the transverse drillings in the shaft lead to vstress concentrations and thus to an increase in the possibility of shaft failure. Secondly, since the airscrew shaft has a high torque loading, `it is of substantial external diameter, which makes it difficult to avoid substantial oil leakage between the stationary muff and the rotating shaft. Thirdly, since the muff is between the reduction gear and the airscrew, the overall length of theengine has to be increased sufficiently to accommodate the mu?.

According to the present invention, in an airscrewdriving gas-turbine engine of which the airscrew has an hydraulic pitch-change mechanism in its hub, theY airscrew shaft is connected with the engine shaft through an epicyclic reduction gear whereof the planet carrier is secured to rotate with the airscrew shaft, the planet carrier has a tail shaft projecting from it towards the engine, the tail shaft carrying no substantial torque and encircling the engine shaft, and there is provided means to `supply pressure oil to the pitch-change mechanism comprising a stationary muff closely surrounding the `tail shaft and feeding pressure oil to ducts'in the tail shaft,

2,928,474 I Paented Mar'. 1 5, 1960 ICC compared with known arrangements. Also since the tail shaftcarries no substantial torque, the possibility of high stress loadings in the shaft due to transverse drillings in it is avoided. Again since the mutf is between the reduction gear and the engine it may be accommodated without increasing the length of the engine.

According to a preferred feature of this invention, the tail shaft is formed externally with a number of axiallyspaced peripheral grooves corresponding to thenumber of pressure oil supplies required, which grooves are closed by the mui and are fed with pressure oil through appropriately'spaced ports in the mufr", and the tail shaft isitted internally with a sleeve having axial channels in its external surface, each channel communicating by a drilling through the tail shaft with one of the peripheral grooves and Aalso communicating with theV appropriate transfer duct or pipe in the planet carrier.

Two arrangements according to this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

n `Figure 1 illustrates in axial section a reduction gear between a drive shaft of a gas-turbine engine and an airscrew shaft, and pressure oil supply means for a pitchchange mechanism of the airscrew, Y Figure 2 illustrates part of Figure 1 to a larger scale, Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, A Figure 4 is a developed view of a part of Figures 2 and 3, 'e

Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 2 and illustrates'a second arrangement, and

Figure 6 is a developed view of part of Figure 5. In Figure 1 the drive shaft 10 of the engine carries a sun gear 11 of an epicyclic reduction gear and the `sun gear 11 meshesV with one wheel 12 of each of three compound planet gear elements. Only 'one of the planet gearl i elements is shown,l the planet gear element being equi- V angularly disposed about the sun gear 11. Each planet which projects from the planet carrier an oil distributor member mounted in the planet carrier at its connection with the airscrew shaft and having ducts connected with supply ducting in the airscrew shaft, and oil transfer ducts and pipes within the planet carrier interconnecting the ducts in the tail shaft and the ducts in the distributor member.

YThe muti is preferably kalso employed for the supply of lubricating oil to the bearings of the planet gears and other bearings within the planet carrier.

It. will be appreciatedthat since the tail, shaft carries no substantial torque and the engine shaft, which the tail shaft encircles, carries a low torque ascompared with the airscrewshaft, the tail shaft and engine Ashaft may be of asubstantially smaller diameterthan the airscrew shaft. Thus oil leakage can be markedly reduced asy gear element has its wheel 12 secured on a corresponding spindle'-14 which is journalled in a planet carrier 13, and comprises also a second pinion 15 secured on the spindle 14. The pinions 15 mesh with an internally toothed annular gear 16 mounted against rotation within a reduction gear casing 17 which is shaped externally to afford `the inner wall of an annular air intake passage 9 leading to the gas-turbine engine. The gear casing 17 is connected to the outer wall 18 of the annular air intake passage 9 by means of a number of struts 19 extending across the passage.

The planet carrier 13 is shown as being formed in two parts 13a, 13b of which the part 13a isshown as being in one piece with Vthe airscrew shaft 20 and of which the part 13b is shown having in one with it a tail shaft 21 towards the engine and encircles the engine shaft 10.

The airscrew shaft 20 is mounted in the reduction gear casing 17 by means of a ball thrust bearing 22 and the tail shaft 21 is mounted in the reduction gear casing 17 of the engine shaft 10.

The following arrangement (details of which are shown' p in Figures 2 to 4) is employed to supply pressure oil to the pitch-change mechanism of an airscrew driven by the shaft 20. The'airscrew is not illustrated and yis of conventional kind having an hydraulic pitch-change rmechanism accommodated in its hub.

The arrangement comprises a mulf vstructure 26 mounted within the rear portion of the reduction gear casing 17 to encircle the tail shaft 21, the muff structure I including means to transfera number of supplies. of

, pressure oil to ducts in the tail shaft 21,` transfer ducts and piping vfor conveying the oilsupplies from the'. tail `shaft to the plug member 24 whichV isadapted as a dis# Y t'ributr .forh the oil supplies;andarpluralitylf iljzsupplyV pipes within 'the airs'cre'w shaft" 20le'dingg tothe itch# Vv'change mechanism. 'i

The mui structure (Figure 2)Vcorripris'es`anoutei" cas'ing 27 of Vcylindrical form having on its internal sur``V face a seriesV of four circumferential groovesja'nd having on its outer Vsurfacethree unions 27a to which are connected Loil supply pipes `28 extending outwardly V'through one of the-struts 191(Figure 1) toexternal supply connections 29; The oilfed throughthepipes 28` can flow into theA grooves on the internal 'surfacev ofthe casing 27; `-:The outeracasingalso hasa fourth.' pipe connectionv Y 30 extending through one of-the struts 19 tojiconvey oil 'i `to a ductr-27'b-f(-Figure 2)` .withinfa swelling on the ca siug,

4 6, 57 and the ducts 54 correspondingto the three supplies from the manifolds 32, 33, 34 arei connected respectively, to open into the oil supply pipes 55, 56 and 157,4 so to deliver the supplies `of oil from the manifolds separately to the pitch-change mechanism. The space SSfbetween'the outer oil supply pipe 55 andthe airscreW.

shaft"2`0is employed as a return oill duct and this spce opensvia a duct 59 ,in the distributor member 24 into mu-l structureZf also comprises a liner V31 'fitted' withirV the casing,- the 'liner' having external circumferential grooves corresponding in axial positior'rt'ojA the`1 groovesA f in the casing 27. When the liner 31 -is fitted inthecasing 27 withthe grooves in register, four oil supplylranifolds' -V 32, 33,' 34,' 35 arefformed which are fedwith-oilunder pressure*respectively` 'by the A three ypipe 29 "'a-'ndV- the? pipeso. 1

The line`r`31 of the mui structure hasi'a' running" clearance on the tail shaft 21 whic'hisV provided externalf 'l ly with a series of four'circumferential'grooves- 36; ,37, 7

38` and 39 which a'r'eiaxiallyf'level -Withftllefrrianifolds 32, 33, 34 and 35 respectively andare connected ,to-them* by ports'40, in theline'r31tdbefs15pliedwifh pressure oil. The tail shaftf21 has a sealing.'ri'r 1`g41-` fitted? inf't the` reduction vgear casing. '(Thetran'sfer pipesV 53 Vrriay` say, due to1 fracture of atooth of one ofthe gear elements by arranging that'reinforcing webs 13C forming part of the planet carrier 13 lie between the .transfer carrier 13 and oil is conveyed through the drillings60 and iffnecessary through `further transfer-{pipeslto lubricatedhe bearings of the spindlesY 14 4of the planetgear elements. andfthefbearing;A 25 for the end' of'the shaft 10. The vpipe 6Imay be protected; againstdamage orfracture due to vibration in the manner described for the transfer pipes 53. p

, `ln a modification' of the oil supply arrangement above described, any oil leaking from thefgroovesj-SG, 37, 38

is allowed to ow into the channelsconveying bearing lubricating oil. v

.fSuch a' construction is shown in Figures f5 and-6 which parts which are the same as those of Figures 1 TV to 4; are indicated by thesame references the sealing rings 41 co-operafefwith thefinternalfsurface of the, liner 31 tolrreduce oil `leakage along thetail? shaft between the grooves 36,- 37, `t8-ai1dl 39. VIn-this'con-y struction theftailshaft 21V` is also providedfrbetweelr ad? jacent sealing rings '41 with furtheriannulargrooves'ifllaj and with radial drillings; 42 Fto collect-"faiyj lea-kagcoilf and return it toa region of lowpressure2:

'The` tail' shaft 21 hasrftted within Vit a sle'vef 43:;fci`f`r which anA external developed viewf is shown inligurefV 4, and this sleeve has in its'- external surface a seriesfof longitudinal channels.` VSome of thef channels', indicatedj by reference 44, extend 'axially through'thewhole lengthA of the sleeve 43 and are placed in comr'nunicationiwithV the groove 36 by drillingsV 44a through thetail shaft' so that'the channels=44 Varefed withipressureoillfronifV i the manifold 32. `Other channels, indicated-e945,are*

placed in communication with'the Vgroot/e3? byidrillings" 45a in `the tailshaft-to 'oe-'fed with pressure oil, from` thernanifoldlii; Still further channels46lare'place`d in Y communication'withthefgroove 38 byffurther drillingsf 46a in the tail shaft, andY furtherachannelsJ 47 are Y placedbydrillingsv 47ati'ir'ough`th'e tail shaft intocommunica?1 tion with the groove 39. The remaining channels 48;',

t As'in the construction of Figuresl to` 4, the part 13b` ofthe planet carrier has a tail shaft `121 encircling the` `engine shaft 10 and the tail shaft is encircled by a sta-L tionarymutf structure comprising casing 27 andyliner-,Sl-

L f together affording supply manifolds-,32, 33, 34, 35. The tailshaftV 121 has a running clearance `from the liner from the manifoldsv 32,' 33, 34, 35 respectively. Sealing 31.- andjhasin its external surface a series of four periph-ty eral' grooves 136,137, 138, 1-39 receiving pressure` oil^` l rings 141 arev provided between the tail-shaft `121 and the 1iner31, three pairs ofsealing rings between grooves" 136 and 137, and 1,37 and 138,` af single ring between"` grooves '138 and 139, andrsingle rings at the sides of` grooves 136 and 139 remote fromqthetother grooves;l

Groove 139 is connected by a; drilling 147a with axial" channels 147 in asleevev143` and oil'leaking from the grooves 136, 137,1'138-1 to betweenthe, pair of sealing'l rings 141' also flows intothe( channels 14'7"th"rough:drill irigs'r142. The oil suppliesV from thegroov'es 136,1'37;

receivetlreaka'geA oil .throughtl:te"d`rillin`gs'Al 421-andftleoilVV t u Withthis arrangement the forni ofthe slee've'143 is'sim flowing. into the channels '483 drains" through-ports :inf

' the sleeve 43 to the space'between the engine shaft 1li and the sleeve 43.4 It will be'tappreciatedfthtthe drillings 44a, 45a, 46a connectingthe channels-"4,4,` 45y and;4 6 with' the.` grooves 36, 37 and respectivelyare not' shown A Y f Y plies are` fedvtdthe airscrew shaft 201throughai m'ulfi in Figure?. ofthe` drawings3`since they are'at positions angularly; offset fromH theY planeV of section: in` Figures 2,

Ybut: their axial positions,arefindicatedv in Figurel4.

The channels 44,45 and 46at their ends adjacerit'the reductiongear communicatewitlrthe` radially inner ends Cf! rcspectivedr'illings 59,- 511 and 52 see FigurcsZ andV 3 inthe fpart 13b of, thei planetfcarrierl 13 and' these pipes 531toA respective ducts'54 in the'distributormemher;=2,4. 'llieairscrewly shaft 201 has arranged Vcoaxiallyn 138 ow through portsin thetail shaft intofchannelsf144p 145, 146Lrespectively, Vall of: whichf channels extendv throughout the length of thefsleeve-1-43.` As in theconf struction of'Figures 1 to14; ,the oil leaves thechannelsr 144,t 145, 146, 147 Vin'to drillings in the' part 13b `of the planet carrier in thegsameyvay as shownrinFigure 3j.

plied. .3,4 y t Y v Y, n, Itfwill bet,` appreciated that the :arrangements above` described have a'number of advantages 'aslcomparedr with the known arrangement; in which pressure'foilsup" structure encirclingthe rear end'fofthei shaft 20.A

Firstly/,the shaft 20 is subject tothighrtorqueiloadiijigs) whereas the tail shaftZl o r 1211 carries rioflsulistntial 'point of transfer from stationary"s`tructure to;rotatrigf` t structure, sinceith'efdiameters o'ftheshaftsfi' ZI'and 12,1, withmnttan appropriate numbers-pf oil supply'pipesSS; 75 caninfgeneral' befm'ade sibstantially`sa1ler`tha" the* tionsl landgto the possibility, offailure` `due to;Y such stress concentrationstf u; j, f," Secondly, it possible toreducesoil leakage at" be protectedffromdartiage, z

diameter of the airscrew shaft 20; this is because the shaft 21 carries no substantial torque loads and the shaft 10 has substantially lower torque loadings in operation than the airscrew shaft 2t). It will also be clear that as the maximum torque required to be transmitted in the shaft 20 increases so its diameter must be increased.

Thirdly, since the mui structure 26 is arranged between the reduction gear and the engine, it can be accommodated within space which must be provided due to the necessary shaping of the inner wall 17 of the air intake duct 9 and which may otherwise be unoccupied, so that the overall length of the engine and airscrew may be decreased as compared with the known arrangement where the muff structure is between the reduction gear and the airscrew.

Also, by providing webs, such as webs 13C, as part of the planet carrier so as to protect the oil transfer pipes 53 against damage in the event of disruption of the gearing, the pilot may still retain control of the airscrew.

The arrangement of this invention may also permit a reduction in the length of pipes employed for conveying the pressure oil supplies between the oil pumps and the muti structure since it is usual in aircraft gasturbine propeller engines to arrange the oil pumps close to the rear end of the reduction gear, where the overall diameter of the engine is low, thereby to avoid unnecessarily increasing the frontal area of the engine and its auxiliaries.

We claim:

l. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine of the class comprising an airscrew having a hub and a hydraulic pitch-change mechanism in its hub; an engine shaft, an airscrew shaft and an epicyclic reduction gear drivingly connecting the engine shaft and airscrew shaft, said reduction gear including a sun gear secured on the engine shaft, planet gears meshing with the sun gear, a planet gear carrier in which the planet gears are journalled, and a relatively-stationary annulus gear meshing with the planet gears and providing the torque reaction member of the reduction gear; said planet carrier of the reduction gear being secured to the airscrew shaft to rotate with it; wherein the planet carrier has a tail shaft projecting from it towards the engine, the tail shaft carrying no substantial torque and encircling the engine shaft, and there is provided means to supply pressure oil to the pitch-change mechanism comprising a stationary mui closely surrounding the tail shaft and feeding pressure oil to ducts in the tail shaft, an oil distributor member mounted in the planet carrier at its connection with the airscrew shaft and having ducts connected with supply ducting in the airscrew shaft, and oil transfer ducts and pipes within the planet carrier interconnecting the ducts in the tail shaft and the ducts in the distributor member.

2. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mui is also employed for the supply of lubricating oil to thebearings of the planet gears and other bearings Within the planet carrier.

responding to the number of pressure oil supplies re- ,Y

quired, which grooves are closed by the muti and are fed with pressure Voil through appropriately spaced ports in the mui, and there is provided a sleeve tted internally in the tail shaft, the sleeve having axial channels in its external surface, each channel communicating by a drill-` ing through the tail shaft with one of the peripheral grooves and also communicating with the appropriate transfer duct or pipe in the planet carrier.

4. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine as claimed in claim 3, comprising sealing rings mounted in the tail shaft at each side of each groove andl co-operating with the mutt to limit leakage of oil from the grooves axially of the tail shaft, at least some ofthe grooves being separated by pairs of sealing rings and the spaces between the pairs of sealing rings being in communication with some of the channels in the sleeve.

5. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the channels in Athe sleeve with which said spaces communicate, have outlets therefrom into a casing for the reduction gear.

6. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the channels in the sleeve with which said spaces communicate, also communicate with one of the peripheral grooves in the tail shaft and said one of the peripheral grooves is supplied with oil under pressure for bearing lubricating purposes.

Y 7. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine accordingl tov claim 3, wherein the muff comprises'a cylindrical casing having internally a series of axially-spaced circumferential grooves, andra liner fitted Within the casing and formed externally with a corresponding series of external circumferential grooves registering with the grooves in the casing to form a series of oil supplyv manifolds,'there being individual supply connections to the manifolds, andy the grooves in the tail shaft having an axial spacing cor--V responding to the spacing of the manifolds and communicating with the grooves.

8. An airscrew-driving gas-turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the planet carrier comprises webs extending between the oil transfer pipes and the gear lelements of the reduction to protect them against damage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

